Very easy. Workload may seem heavy but if you properly divide it by everyone (some people do 1 case analysisr, others do another, etc.) it’s not much. Courses are easy. Business Projects are laughable.

Is the local CEMS Club active?

Doesn’t seem so. Socially, they only organized a welcoming event in 5 weeks. It looks that it is more active among Chinese students (with a career development department and a finance department, which there aren’t in the Lisbon CEMS Club) There was no such thing as applications for foreign students to be part of it.

Accommodation

Available options for accommodation and suggestions

Residence – woodplank bed, old infrastructure, not allowed to have friends over past 11 (security will come to your room to check), 20 min away from school.

Wudaokou – share a flat with other CEMS students. Very convenient location (3 min from the bar area, 5 min from the metro station, 15 min from the school, 5 minutes from supermarkets and shopping malls). This is a prime area and super safe (all of Beijing is very safe).

Approximate cost of accommodation

Residence - It’s around 325€ per month.

Shared Flat – 2030€ in total per month; you can divide the costs of rooms depending on their size an amenities. Being on the smallest room, I pay 410€

Total cost of living (per month)

Without traveling, you can live very comfortably with 800€, including rent, eating and drinking more then in Lisbon and sightseeing around Beijing. If you go frequently to SanLiTun (the club area) it gets more expensive as each taxi (30 min drive) is at least 50 RMB and if you don’t get into the guest lists or try to get in clubs after 11pm you’ll have to pay – especially if you are a guy – either to get in or for drinks. If you get on the lists, they give you the drinks for free. It is very easy to get in touch with PRs or be in a WeChat group with PRs from all the big night clubs.

Transportation cost

Buying a bike is very convenient (you can get a second-hand one for 20-30€). Taxis are cheap (around 7€ for half an hour drive) as well as public transportation (you pay for trips and there’s no monthly card – they can go from 2 yuan to 8 yuan, depending on how far you go).

Meal cost

Canteen – you can eat from 6 yuan to 16 yuan there. A lot of variety and options (more than 14 canteens, some with different floors, all with many dishes to choose from)

Overdose of food at a good Sushi restaurant (not your typical Portuguese sushi all you can eat but a proper sushi place) – 150 yuan

Experience

Amazing experience. Wudaokou is the best place to meet international people (you do need to make an effort going out and engaging, it’s not going to fall on your lap) and you get to experience a lot of different things (places, culture, people) in Beijing. If you are really looking forward to a truly international experience (you can meet people from, literally, all the continents and every kind of country) and, at the same time, dealing with a very different culture and habits, Beijing is the right place. Money-wise, except for rent is also a very good place!